Politics of the Indochinese DR
in military outfit. (2008)]] .]] This page contains an overview of the politics of the Indochinese DR. The Indochinese Democratic Republic is a one-party state ruled by the Unity Party of Indochina. The Indochinese Democratic Republic inherited most of its political institutions of the Vietnamese state. It is however a union between the former states of Vietnam, Laos and (Northern) Cambodia, what accounts for the country its federal structure. The regime of the Indochinese Democratic Republic has moved away from communism and is generally considered a socialist-inspired yet nationalist one. Leader of the country is president Nguyễn Văn Đỗ who seeks to keep the fragile union together by means of economic and political stability or, if necessary, violent oppression. Constitutional provisions The Indochinese Democratic Republic inherited most of its political institutions of the Vietnamese state. When the union with Laos was established a new Constitution was written, the first of the Indochinese DR. Major amendments were made in 2004 and 2011, the latter being the most substantial and accommodating the political structures to the inclusion of northern Cambodia as third region in the union. Article one of the Constitution of 2011, approved after the inclusion of Northern Cambodia, describes Indochina as follows: :The Democratic Republic of Indochina is a federal union consisting of the three regions of Vietnam, Laos and Northern Cambodia united under the sovereign Unity Party. The Unity Party represents the united people of Indochina and exercises sovereignty in their name to achieve the common good and prosperity for all. This article includes several elements that can be paraphrased as a democratic federal republic with a one-party system. The official name of the country includes both the words 'democratic' and 'republic'. Yet Indochina is often not considered any of those two. It can hardly be called a democracy since the only party allowed to participate in elections is the Unity Party of Indochina (UPI). It is considered contradictory to include both the provision of democracy and a one-party system, but the Indochinese regime has confidence in its own take on democracy. The democratic dimension can best by captured by considering the socialist past of Vietnam and Laos and is comparable to the people's democracies in Eastern Europe under communism. The republican provision is mainly outer form too as the leader of the country, Nguyễn Văn Đỗ ever since his appointment in 1994, holds the office of president. No real democratic or republican institutions have developed since all power ultimately resides with the Unity Party, the key feature of the system. Indochina really is a one-party state with the UPI that functions as the backbone of the entire political system. According to the Constitution, sovereignty resides with the UPI which governs the people in the name of common good. The UPI determines who gets to run in elections for the Indochinese National Assembly, delivers the president without popular consultation and concepts the major guidelines of policy. Nonetheless the Democratic Republic is not entirely subjected to party rule: economy and judiciary have been relatively privatized in comparison to the classical soviet-style dictatorships. Organization of the power branches Indochinese National Assembly It is quite clear-cut that the Indochinese DR does not hold separate power branches. There is on the contrary a strong convergence between especially the executive and legislative level. In theory the Indochinese National Assembly, the country's parliamentary organ, is the only body to write laws and it alone determines which legislation passes. The Assembly holds moderate power and most certainly can block proposals quite successfully. It is on the other hand reliant on the Unity Party of Indochina for its composition. There has been an allowance of controlled puppet opposition in the last years though. A second limit to the parliament's power is the veto right of the president who is directly appointed by the UPI. The federal make-up of the Democratic Republic is reflected in the division of the Assembly in so-called regional chambers. For a limited list of issues, a majority of votes is to be gathered in each of the three regional chambers. This procedure remains once again a symbol since the party strictly centralizes the voting process. Unity Party of Indochina The Unity Party of Indochina (UPI) determines who gets to run in elections and of course only picks members loyal to the party ideals. The party also appoints the president, currently Nguyễn Văn Đỗ, directly. The president has the right to veto any proposal that comes from the Indochinese National Assembly and thus gives the UPI even greater power over the legislation passed. Party officials have been trying to gently privatize the judicial and economic branches of society to counter the growing corruption on lower, regional party levels. To this goal a special institute for the control of the economy has been developed. This used to be the domain of the Economics Department but this administration has been 'privatized' and enjoys greater autonomy from the party than other departments. The former Economics Department is now known as the Economic Planning Administration and is responsible for implementing ánd creating economic legislation. Federal structure A vertical power division exists, corresponding the principles of federal organization. The three regional entities - Vietnam, Laos and Northern Cambodia - have a relative autonomy in domains such as preservation of natural resources, cultural identity and language, education, etc. Yet this autonomy is limited since the regional party levels have to follow the instructions of the federal one. The regions still get their autonomy though as long as they stay loyal to those views that really matter. The federal make-up of the Democratic Republic is enshrined in the Constitution and reflected in the division of the Assembly in so-called regional chambers. For a limited list of issues, a majority of votes is to be gathered in each of the three regional chambers. This procedure remains once again a symbol since the party strictly centralizes the voting process. Policy overview The UPI has moved away from orthodox marxism and has stripped its policy bare of almost all references to marxist theory. Stressing the nationalist aspects of the program more strongly has been the course of action the past decade. The influence of marxist thought can however still be seen in the aggressive stance against imperialism. Nonetheless efforts have been made to leave the soviet-like organization without fully loosing control: a attempt at the creation of market socialism has been made and party control over the judicial branch and administration have loosened. This course is pursued even though the economic results attained remain poor. The regime can only maintain itself by relying on systematic oppression and the usage of anti-imperialist propaganda. The UPI is afraid that allowing more political reform will result in anarchy and foreign nations profiting of a weak and divided Indochina. International relations The Indochinese DR holds an international policy based on isolationism and political neutrality. The relations with the Grand Yarphese Republic have long been tensed as the Indochinese leadership saw the Yarphese presence as a factor threatening regional stability. In 2011 the Indochinese-Yarphese Mutual Friendship Agreement was however signed, acknowledging the borders as they were at the time. Southernmost Vietnam and most of Cambodia came under Yarphese rule while Northern Cambodia joined Indochina as its third region. The treaty also confirmed the membership of the Indochinese DR of the Organization of Independent States (OIS) which has been under dispute ever since its creation in 13 February 2010. The Indochinese DR missed out on the first three conferences of the OIS but has expressed its commitment to future rounds. The Indochinese DR is negotiating to expand the Mutual Friendship Agreement with the creation of a (limited) free trade zone and has requested membership of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). It might be denied membership of the NAM due to its lack of a democratic regime. It is however speculated the Indochinese DR might be granted the status of 'observing member' though it is unclear what such statute would constitute. Category:Indochinese DR Category:Politics